A new installment in the Batman: Arkham franchise will be released this year, according to a fourth quarter earnings 2012 call by Time Warner.

It is unclear if developer Rocksteady, the studio behind both games in the Batman: Arkham series, is developing the game.

“…we also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman: Arkham franchise,” Time Warner CFO and Chief Administrative Officer John K. Martin said in the earnings call.

[adsense250itp]A rumor reported in July suggested Rocksteady was developing a new Batman game set in the Dark Knight’s Silver Age (that’s the 60s, KABLAM!). However, that rumor has yet to be confirmed. If true, the new Batman game from Rocksteady is not expected to release until 2014.

Recently, it was revealed developer Warner Bros. Montreal is working on an unannounced game in the DC Universe. The developer previously worked on the Wii U game, Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition. Warner Bros. Montreal was set up in 2010 specifically to handle characters from DC Comics.

Based on the fact a new game Batman: Arkham game has yet to be officially unveiled and it is supposed to release this year, it can be assumed it is being developed for next-gen consoles. Once new consoles are officially announced, publishers will begin to reveal their lineup.

Batman: Arkham Asylum released to both critical and commercial success in 2009. The open-world action game was the super hero video game adaptation comic book fans deserved and finally received. A sequel, Batman: Arkham City, released in 2011. It was even more acclaimed than its predecessor.

The franchise is best known the combat and the gadgets Batman has in his arsenal.

Batman has been busy lately. In addition to the Batman: Arkham series, he has made appearances in Lego Batman 2, DC Universe Online and will be featured as a playable character in the upcoming fighting game, Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Ryan Bloom

Ryan Bloom is a writer and avid gamer from Orange County. He received a B.A. in Communications with a minor in American Studies from California State University, Fullerton in 2010. Follow him on Twitter @BloomsTweets.